Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosures

The Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure is a means of checking an individuals background to ensure they do not have a history that would make them unsuitable for working with children. A Disclosure will provide current details of a persons criminal record, including convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer. It will also contain details from lists held by the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills of those considered unsuitable for close contact with young people. Depending on the level of Disclosure, it might also contain information held by local police forces.

We recommend that all new and existing coaches, helpers and other volunteers who have direct contact with junior club members undergo an Enhanced Disclosure check through the CRB.

Disclosures for volunteers are free, but have to be applied for through an Umbrella Organisation, rather than directly to the CRB. Some National Governing Bodies are registered Umbrella Organisations and carry out CRB checks for their coaches, usually when they complete a coaching qualification. If a coach has already completed a CRB check, they should be able to provide a copy of their CRB certificate.

Please be advised that some organisations will charge an administration fee for processing your form.

Dealing with Disclosure of Convictions or Cautions.

If a CRB Disclosure or Self Disclosure reveals details of a conviction or caution, careful consideration must be given regarding whether these details affect the persons suitability for the specific role within your club which they are being considered for.

We recommend that you take into account:

• whether the conviction or other matter revealed is relevant to the position in question
• the seriousness of any offence or other matter revealed
• the length of time since the offence or other matter occurred
• whether the applicant has a pattern of offending behaviour or other relevant matters
• whether the applicant's circumstances have changed since the offending behaviour or the other relevant matters
• the circumstances surrounding the offence and the explanation(s) offered by the person concerned.

Each situation will need to be considered separately, as no two sets of circumstances are likely to be the same. For example, if a person was convicted of a speeding offence 15 years ago, it shouldnt affect their ability to run the tuck shop on junior club nights. However, if they have several recent convictions for drink-driving, they would be highly unsuitable to drive the clubs minibus to competitions.

If you are unsure about whether disclosed information is relevant, we recommend you to visit the CRB website for further information or contact Malvern Hills District Councils Cultural Services team to discuss.